Babineaux ready to step in for injured Hope

The Titans signed safety Jordan Babineaux in August so they would have veteran depth at the position and a proven replacement in the event a starter went down with an injury.

Babineaux has filled the void well in place of an injured Chris Hope, and the Titans expect that to continue. Hope, as expected, is set to have surgery later this week to repair the broken left forearm he suffered in Sunday’s 31-13 win over the Browns. Hope is expected to miss 4-6 weeks.

Babineaux, who spent his first seven seasons with the Seahawks, returned an interception 97 yards for a touchdown against the Browns.

“The biggest thing is I just want my presence to be felt on the defense,” he said. “I have the ability to play multiple positions. My job is to consistently come to work, work on my craft and continue to get better and then everything else will take care of itself.”

The injury continues a trend of bad luck for Hope, who missed two games after suffering a dislocated shoulder in the season opener against the Jaguars. He is in the final year of a contract that pays him $6.5 million in 2011.

“It is like he can’t catch a break,” safety Michael Griffin said. “It is a hard situation to go through and seeing all the success the team is having and not being a part of it. It is a tough situation for him because he wants to be out there. But (Babineaux) is a playmaker, and he proved that again.”